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Letter - Why destroy nesting boxes?

Letter to the editor from the July 4, 2014 Grand Forks Gazette.

Editor, The Gazette:During 35 years of monitoring nesting boxes (primarily for bluebirds) as a hobby, both in Alberta and B.C.,  loss of boxes has been limited to damage by weather, livestock and theft (five). However, last week seven of the 100 boxes that I monitor were willfully smashed. Sadly, in some cases the boxes contained wren, swallow or bluebird eggs, and in one instance, five bluebird fledglings that were still being fed by the parents. Luckily, I was able to partially repair it.In all instances, the boxes were smashed in the same manner, and were located on the west end of town on either Forrester Road or Hardy Mountain Road, west of Outlook Road, suggesting a common perpetrator.  If you see someone—other than an obvious white-haired senior—tampering with the nesting boxes, a phone call would be appreciated.

 

Ernie Whelan,

Grand Forks